Who would have guessed?
by PurpleLicious64
Summary: Bella is a mermaid by night,and no one knows it but her.What happens when she becomes depressed when her mom dies,Victoria comes for revenge,and Edward finds out about her secret?True Love,of course! Fanfiction aka NOT one shot.X3
1. Chapter 1

"But Mom, it's my sixteenth birthday tomorrow! What do you mean you're sending me to Forks?!" I cried, stomping my feet on the ground.

"That's the reason I'm sending you there Isabella!" She paused. "You need to get a view of the world while your still young. Now go pack!" my mom commanded as she retired to her room for the night.

"FINE! If you want your alone time with Phil, you could've just told me to get a hotel room!" I yelled, slamming my door in a huff.

God dammit, why is my mom such an ass sometimes? Just suddenly, randomly sending me to Forks out of nowhere! I did my research. I know there's barely any sunlight over there, and best of all, it's in the middle of nowhere! I fumed, screaming into my innocent pillow that did nothing but sit on my bed. Sure, I wanted to see Charlie–my dad–, but mom had no business making arrangements for me to move to a whole different state without telling me until the last minute! I took my face off my pillow, exhaling a large breath that I had been holding. I punched my bed, huffing again. I'll just go out for the night.

When my mom and I get into fights, I usually cool off by taking a walk outside. At night, I would sneak out through my window. Once, Mom caught me sneaking through the front door, and as a result, installed an alarm for the house. I sighed and glanced at the window. It was a fairly tight squeeze, but I had no trouble getting in and out since I was petite, and I was on the first floor. I landed on my rear as I usually did, carefully closing my window so there was a little crack for me to get back in once I was done. I can't believe how mean my mother is.

I kicked a few pebbles off the sidewalk and into the road. Phoenix: a huge crazy town filled with crazy girls and even worse guys.........or around where I live anyway. I got a few whistles from men–obviously drunk from pubs–who seemed to linger around each street corner. I saw my favorite gas station come up in my view and I smiled. It was open twenty-four hours so I went there anytime, meeting with Garrett, the storeowner. He was a cool guy. He was in his late twenties or early thirties, and he always gave me discounts on little treats like popsicles.

"Hey Bella!" he called as he helped a customer.

"Hi Garrett!" I shouted back, snatching a honeydew popsicle from the small container.

"Something wrong?" he asked as the same customer made his leave through the doors I had entered.

"Yeah. My mom is making me go to Forks tomorrow." I sighed as I gave him a dollar for the icy treat.

"Woah, so suddenly?" He was as shocked as I had been.

"Yeah, it sucks. I'm going to miss coming here in the middle of the night," I joked as the shop owner gave a small laugh.

"Well, at least you can start a new life over there." He referred to the crappy one I had now.

"Yep. I guess that's an upside to it. Thanks." I smiled as I opened my package, eating my treat slowly, yet at a pace that would let me finish it by the time I got back home to my window

"Haha, you'd better come back to visit sometime, alright?" He grinned and I nodded.

"I'll be back for sure!" I responded as I exited the store.

"Hey Bella!" He called. I spun around to have a neatly wrapped box fall into my hands.

"Happy sixteenth." He winked as I grinned, yelling a 'thank you' through the glass door.

I quickly made my way back to my house, slipping back through the window, and placing my finished popsicle stick into the container where I had hundreds more. It was always my dream to build a birdhouse out of those things when I was little, but I never really got around to it. Thus, it's become a collection. Setting the small, wrapped box on my nightstand, I grabbed my brown suitcase out of the closet, opening it up and sticking it on the floor. I then opened my bra and underwear drawer, chucking all of them in, and moved down to my second drawer, which contained my favorite shirts. I sighed as I deliberated, trying to figure out which ones to pack. In the end, I decided to pack them all. I skipped over the third drawer–containing my less-favored t-shirts–, headed to my pants drawer, and packed all of my jeans, plus my one and only pair of Lulu's. I made it to the final drawer, probably my most favorite; my pajamas. Okay, they weren't really my favorite but they were warm and comfy, so who was complaining? I put away three different pairs, satisfied with my choices.

I sighed as I grabbed my toiletries bag, heading to the bathroom to quickly brush my teeth and wash my face. I made it back into my room, closing the door quietly so I wouldn't wake anyone up, and jumped into bed for the last night before I headed to Forks.


	2. Chapter 2

: She does, but only once she turns 16 ~ I forgot to add that to the summary. My bad!

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Hi, my name is Isabella Swan, but I prefer being called Bella. I have light brown hair with chocolate brown eyes and unnatural-looking pale skin, and I just had the shittiest first day of school. I swear, it couldn't have gone worse than it had.

_Flashback_

_I ran to school, knowing full well I'd be late. It was my fourth day in Forks and my dad, Charlie, said I could take the next week or two off. However, that would have been too much of a hassle when exams came around and I had missed that much class. I was enrolled in Forks High, a school much larger than the one back home. It almost shocked me how large it was. I ran into my first class........or more like tripped, resulting in a collective snicker from the class as my face turned red. The teacher gave me a weird glare, probably for interrupting the class, but he noticed that I was a new student. He signed the slip I had gotten from the office, and seated me next to a girl who I learned was named Jessica. She tried speaking to me, but I ignored her, trying to concentrate on the lesson that we were learning, even if I had learned about it last year. Romeo and Juliet: the famous romantic tragedy between two lovers belonging to rival families. No matter how many times I heard it, it always struck me with awe. In the middle of class, the teacher told us to go to the gym for some annual assembly. Not knowing my way around, I just went with the flow into an overly crowded gym. Lovely. _

_I took my seat at the back of the gym, ignoring the stares I got from my peers. I zoned out while a lady was talking, not really interested. Something about how well the school is doing academically and financially. Apparently, we were getting a new basketball court this year. I sighed, rubbing my head. It was way too hot in here. I heard my name being called and I jerked my head up, shocked. There was a spot light on me. ME! The lady who spoke, who I now realized was the principal, beckoned me up on stage as I felt the stares of the whole school on me. I felt the blood rush to my head, slowly stood up, and just as slowly made my way to the stage. I just had to sit in the back, didn't I? I made it onto the stage, not tripping once. Thank God. She explained that I was the new student, and that everyone should be nice to me. I wanted to shoot her. I nodded my head once towards the student body as I took my step back down to the floor, tripping on thin air, and falling off the stage. I could hear the entire school body laughing at me as I ran out of the doors into the parking lot, sitting behind a tree. _

_So much for a good first day. _

_I remained behind the tree, skipping the next three classes until lunch rolled around. Re-entering the school, I made it to the cafeteria. As soon as I set foot inside, it instantly went silent. I lowered my eyes to the ground as I made my way to a single table, my face burning from embarrassment. I placed my head on the window, not bothering to eat. I'll just make food once I get home. I felt eyes staring at me. Turning my head, I was met with a pair of topaz eyes… or several pairs of topaz eyes. I saw five stunningly beautiful people; one had short hair and designer clothing that made her look oddly like a pixie. She sat beside a tall, blonde-haired guy who had mixed emotions like he was furious, excited and shocked. Weird. Next to him was a very muscular, short brown-haired guy who looked scarily tall, even if he was sitting. He sat next to a blond bomb-shell who looked like she was glaring at me. I flinched, but kept my eyes on the table, staring at the last boy in the group. He had bronze hair that was slightly messy, with shining topaz eyes; he looked like a freaking god. The blood rushed to my head and our eyes locked for a few seconds, but the pixie girl tugged on his shoulder, whispering something into his ear very, very quietly. I tore my eyes away, looking outside once again. Who were these drop-dead gorgeous people? I thought about them the whole way home, ditching my last class so I would be able to walk home by four o'clock. I grunted as I finally made it to my house. Walking to school and back was horrible. I made a beeline for my room, falling asleep on my bed._

_End Flashback_

"Bells! I'm home!" I heard my dad call me by my nickname since I was little as I made my way to the kitchen.

"Sorry, I forgot to make food." I replied, leaning on the kitchen wall.

"Don't worry. I'll order in for tonight. Does pizza sound good?" He asked as he picked up the phone. I nodded eagerly.

"I'll be in my room. Call me once the pizza comes!" I announced, heading towards my room.

I shut the door, heading towards my window that looked down on the lawn. I groaned. I was on the second floor, meaning no sneaking out for me. I looked up at the sky, seeing the moon for the first time since I arrived in Forks. Suddenly, I felt my legs throb, and I knelt down, clutching them with my hands. What the hell was going on?! It felt like someone had set my legs on fire, or like every inch of bone was being snapped slowly and _agonizingly. I let out a choked scream as I bit my lip to prevent any other screams. _ Maybe it was just a leg cramp, or I hurt them when I fell down the stairs at the gym. I shakily stood up, running into the bathroom and turning on the hot water in the bathtub.

I hastily got in the steaming bath after stripping off my clothes, the pain immediately going away. I let out a breath of relief, closing my eyes. So it was just a muscle cramp. Thank GOD. I rubbed my hand down my leg, freezing on the spot. _"Why do my legs feel scaly"?_ My eyes shot open. Nervously glancing at my legs, I let out a loud shriek at what I saw. I slapped my hands on my mouth as I heard Charlie run up the stairs to the bathroom door.

"Bella! Are you okay?!" He asked, banging on the door.

"Yeah dad! I'm fine!" I exclaimed, my voice sounding abnormal to myself.

"Are you sure? I heard you scream." He continued.

"Yes! I just chipped a nail!" I hollered, trying to dissuade him from coming into the bathroom.

"Oh. All right then. Pizza will be here soon," Charlie muttered, probably rolling his eyes.

I took in a breath, taking a look at what replaced my legs. Okay.. So maybe it wasn't a simple muscle cramp. I eyed my tail; it was an elegant, metallic sapphire color, with a light blue fin. I put my hair behind my ears, becoming motionless once again. My hair felt soft and thin, not the usual rough, thick feeling I was used to. I brought a couple strands in front of my face, and inhaled sharply. It was at least down to my bum, meaning it had gained more than eight inches in length. I looked down to my chest, to notice my breasts were only covered by a sapphire shell-like bra. I hit my head against the wall, letting out a dry sob.

I was a mermaid?!


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone C:

I just wanna thank my reviwers who are staking through this with me as I figure out what to write for chapter ideas~

Chocolate Chip Cookies for you all :D!

Darkangel1994: (::)(::)

cw. gymnast: (::)(::)

thetwilightsagaismylife:(::)(::)

Goobster013: My wonderful and oh-so-beautiful Beta who fixes my horrible spelling errors as I become lazy in my writings! (::) (::) (::) (::)!

AN: it's thanks to her that my stories make sense! (:

Anyway.. On to chapter three! Please enjoy!:

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"Bella! Pizza's here!" I heard my dad call.

"_Shit." _I thought in my head. What was I going to do?!

"Bella?" he asked through the door, probably wondering where I was.

"I-I'll be there in a sec, dad! You start eating and watch your game!" I yelled back at him, knowing full well that he was probably missing the baseball game.

I'm not sure, but I think he mumbled "alright."

I exhaled a deep breath. At least he's off my case for a little while. But what am I going to do?! I'm stuck in my bathroom, in my bathtub as a mermaid! How long do I have to stay like this, anyway? I hit my head on the wall once again, looking down to admire my tail. It was as long as my bathtub––which was large enough to have a grown man stretch his legs out––my fin propped up just underneath the taps and spout. I guess you could say I've grown a good head or so. I let out a small giggle; I did always want to be taller. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply using my nose. Do I even need my nose right now, or do I have gills? I ran my hands down the side of my tail, feeling for some opening of some sort, but discovered nothing. If I'm a mermaid, don't I need to have gills since a human can't to breathe underwater through their nose? I sighed. Forming random questions in my head isn't helping in the least.

Maybe if I left the bathtub, my legs would come back. It was worth a try. I pushed myself up using my hands and leaned head first out of the bath, my tail following soon after. I slid out of the bath with a large 'thump.' I rubbed my head with my hand, emitting a grunt from the pain that came with it. I took a big breath in; I was still able to breathe. On my stomach, I dragged my lower body to the towel rack, using my arms again. At least I would get some arm muscle? I grabbed my towel onto the floor, dried off my tail, and closed my eyes. If this didn't work, I don't know what I would do. I opened my eyes to see my sapphire blue tail gradually change to beige, and finally split in two after a good five minutes. I had legs again! I almost let out a cry for joy but I held it in, quickly tying my towel around my naked body. I glanced in the mirror to see that my hair had become shorter and rougher. However, my eyes were a sapphire blue. I stared at my reflection, shocked; my eyes looked so soft, yet they had a burning desire inside that made my pale skin look creamy. They suddenly changed back to the chocolate brown that I was so familiar with. I ran to my room, slipped my pajamas on, and ran down stairs to eat my cold pizza.

"Glad to see you out of the bathroom!" My dad joked.

I rolled my eyes playfully in response, taking a huge bite out of the cheese pizza. Seriously, what had happened? All I felt was throbbing, then suddenly a tail burst out of nowhere! What was I going to do? How would I last the future nights? Nothing made sense anymore.

**Next day**

The day passed pretty normally, besides the fact that numerous rumors flew around the school about me missing almost every class yesterday. I rolled my eyes as people whispered to one another as I passed by them in the hallway. I turned my ipod up louder as I headed to the cafeteria for lunch, tuning out everyone around me. I sat at the same table as yesterday; the one in the corner by the window. It was large enough for about two people, so it was a pretty convenient size for me. I mouthed the words to "It's my life" by Bon Jovi as I day dreamed about nothing in particular. It's really weird, but the song is stuck in my head for some reason. It's just so catchy, and so true. My thoughts wandered off to last night. Was I going to have to go through that........that throbbing every night? I sighed as leaned my head against the glass. Life couldn't be any more confusing.

Lunch soon ended and I slowly made my way to biology class; the last class of the day. No matter how hard I try to move slowly, I'm always the first person there. I shuffled to my seat, not paying attention to the kid who sat next to me. We had assigned seats, and since we had an odd number of students, I sat by myself in the back left corner of the room. The kid who now sat next to me poked my arm, trying to get my attention. I turned up my music louder––you would have to be deaf not to hear it––pretending I didn't feel the poke. I shook my head slightly as I lowered the volume to answer his question, 'what is your name?' which I barely heard.

"Bella," I replied, turning my music up once again, concentrating on my Calculus homework.

I wanted this thing done before I got home. I did not want to do math later today and I had more important things to worry about, like me being a mermaid. I switched off my ipod as the teacher walked into the classroom to begin class. I only half-listened to the lesson, correctly answering the teacher's questions when he called on me. I couldn't get last night's event out of my head. A mermaid! Honestly!

I packed up my calculus books, pretending to listen to the teacher as I waited anxiously for class to end. The guy next to me kept making these rumbling noises in his throat, as if he was growling about something. I looked up at him curiously, completely star struck. It was the bronze-haired, god-like boy who kept staring at me in the cafeteria! He gave me a shocked stare as I quickly looked away, my face heating up in embarrassment. Grabbing my books, I left as soon as the bell finally rung. I scurried to my locker, shoved my finished homework inside, and left school to begin my walk home.

Charlie said that he'd get me a car after I've lived in Forks for a week or two, meaning it would probably be another week before I got it. I kicked the dirt below my feet as I trudged the forty-five minute walk to my house. I had just gotten off the campus when a shiny silver Volvo skidded to a stop on the opposite side of the road I was on. I raised an eyebrow at the driver––not that I could see through the tinted window––but I kept walking. I made about another four meters before it came to a stop again across from where I was. The driver rolled down the window to reveal the bronze-haired boy who sat next to me in bio class. I stared at him in amazement and he gave the same stare back.

"Care for a ride?" he asked me. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, his voice sounding like a smooth sheet of velvet.

"U-Uh, sure" I replied, trying to form words as I made my way to his car.

I knew better than to get in a car with a stranger, but he felt like someone I could trust, someone who had a strange positive aura. I placed my bag -filled with school books- on the ground in front of me as I got into the passenger seat, shutting the door. He sped off as soon as I had gotten my seat belt on, and a squeal came out of my mouth.

"So, what's your name?" I asked, after a stretch of silence.

"Edward Cullen."

"Suits you." I nodded to supplement my comment.

"I'm Isabella Swan, but call me Bella. Sorry about bio; I got lost in my thoughts," I mumbled, flicking hair out of my face.

I swear I saw Edward tense, but he relaxed the next second.

"It's fine. You looked very lost in _thoughts_." He spoke in a way that made me think a double meaning was involved, but I ignored it as he suddenly gave me a crooked smile that took my breath away.

I held my breath, looking into his …black eyes? Weren't they a topaz-gold before? He looked at me and gave a small chuckle.

"Breathe, Bella" he whispered as I let go of the breath that I had been holding.

I looked up at where we were. We were at my house, in my driveway. How long had we been here? I grabbed my books, opened the door, and stepped out of the beautiful car.

Something grabbed my attention. "How do you know where I live?" I asked, peering through the window as he looked back at me.

"Let's just say.........some things are better left unsaid." He smiled that crooked, dazzling smile, gave me a wink, and reversed quickly into the road, speeding off.


	4. Chapter 4

I wasn't really too sure where to go with this chapter, but this is what I ended up writing, so please. Enjoy!

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I went inside my house, closing the door and locking it with a grin spread across my face. Edward Cullen, huh? I made my way to my room, opening the window that looked like it had not been opened since I was last here, maybe ten years ago. It was stuck shut at first, but I managed to slam it open, dust flying into my face. I coughed a couple times as I let my room air out, sticking my head out the window, the smile still plastered on my face. What was that thing about him made me feel … so… happy? I went down stairs to begin making dinner for Charlie and me. I didn't pay attention to what landed in the frying pan, it just sizzled heavenly.

I was just about finished cooking the pasta with alfrado sauce and cooked vegetables as I heard Charlie pull into the driveway. Perfect timing, as usual. I've only been here six days – not even a week- and I already knew his whole schedule, it really helped me with my own schedule, not that I did anything that interesting. Charlie came bursting through the front door, his face filled with happiness as I stared in curiosity. What was up with him? I heard a huge rumbling come from outside, raising an eyebrow as a tall tanned-skin boy walked in.

"Bella, honey, you remember your childhood friend, Jacob?" he asked

I shut one eye, thinking of the last time I had been in Forks

"Uh… I think so" I mumbled as I thought of the time I had played on a beach with a boy who was younger than me, us both falling into the water. Ohhh! Him!

"Jake!" I yelled, running to hug him when my memory clicked.

He got himself ready for my embrace, stretching his arms out as I crashed into his body.

"Haha nice to see you too, Izzy!" he responded, wrapping his arms around my body.

The only person who I've really tolerated to call me Izzy, was Jacob, since that's what he would call me when I was younger. After I stopped going to Forks every summer, I changed my nickname to Bella, which it has now stayed.

"Oh. I guess its Bella now, huh?" He smirked as I playfully hit his shoulder

"Whatever, Jake" I laughed as I stepped out of the embrace, heading back to the kitchen to serve the pasta for Charlie

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Charlie asked Jake as I brought out another plate for him.

"Nah. Gotta take care of Billy" he winked at me. I giggled, putting a plate back into the cupboard

"How is Billy?" I wondered to him

"He's good. Misses you, and he's in a wheelchair now" he smirked

"Oh. I hope he's alright" I began putting a little bit of pasta on a plate for myself

"Okay kids! Let's get to the chase!' Charlie almost yelled as Jake and I grinned as his enthusiasm.

"You'll love the surprise!" Jake exclaimed, just as happy

"Alright then.. " I mumbled, not too sure what to expect

We made our way outside, a beautiful rose red '53 Chevy sat in the drive way. I stared in shock as the two guys around me waited anxiously for my reaction

"Oh I love it!" I yelled cried running towards it to get a better look

"I'm glad you like it" Charlie burst out, obviously happy with my reaction

"I was spending the past couple weeks fixing it up. It should work like a charm" Jake boasted

"Thank you guys so much" I ran up to hug them both as we all smiled

Jake and I spent the next little while catching up about our lives, and how everything was. We talked about pretty much anything that could come into our heads; from music types, to clothing styles. It had been at least ten years since we have seen each other, he changed so much. Jake used to be a little boy whom had two little dimples on his cheeks and couldn't run in a straight line, but now he was fifteen, and very mature for his age, and not just in looks. It actually shocked me, how tall he grew and how much he grew into his looks. After a good hour had passed, Charlie shooed Jacob out of the house, his excuse something like I need to get to sleep. Sleep? That was the last thing on my mind.

I got ready for bed, glancing out my bedroom window that was still open. Cloudy. Something about last night told me that my transformation had to do with the moon and night time, since I just happened to turn into a mermaid when the moon came out. I'm sure I'm safe for tonight. I climbed into my bed, snuggling under my warm covers as I drifted off into a deep slumber about the one man who had taken my breath away in a mere few seconds.

Edward.

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Read and Review? C:


	5. Chapter 5

I drove myself to school. This was only my second week of living in Forks, but if I do say so myself, it feels like I've been living here for years. My "incident" that occurred on the first day of school feels like it happened years ago, and no one bothers to bring it up anymore. I became friends with Jessica after I went to English class a few times, and now we talk endlessly. Or at least she does. She continues to talk to me during class, so I don't have much of a choice in the matter. When lunch rolled around, Jess introduced me to the table of friends that she sits with.......which just happened to be the fullest table there was, and is now where I sit. I made friends with Angela and Lauren, so now I don't sit alone anymore. It's a relief, but at the same time, it's a bother. I don't really communicate well with others, so I just usually do my homework during lunch. Angela and I get along pretty well with each other, to the point that we don't talk to others much; we just enjoy each other's company. I sorta miss my spot by the window… but it's not like I could leave my friends to sit by myself now. The last thing I need is to have rumors spreading about me again. I could feel the eyes of the Cullen family boring into the back of my head, as my back faced them. I sat in this spot every lunch hour because I knew they would be watching me. I shuddered at the thought. I could feel Jess poking me on the shoulder as I concentrated on my social studies homework, trying to ignore her. Alas, with no avail. What did she want this time?

"Yes Jess?" I asked, looking up at her.

"The whole Cullen family is looking at you!" she squeaked into my ear so they wouldn't hear.

"Yes, I know Jess. I feel their stares boring into my back." I spoke casually with a little bit of annoyance, hoping they could hear me.

Jess's mouth made an 'o' as the bell rang. I got up to head to Biology. I could hear heavy foot steps behind me, and I knew it was Mike. Mike Newton is a boy who Jess introduced me to, and he has a huge crush on me. Usually I wouldn't know these things, but he asked me out, and continues to do so. Every. Single. Day. I sighed as he finally caught up to me, tapping my shoulder.

"Yes Mike?" I questioned, trying to sound sincere.

"Want to go to bio with me?" he begged.

"Er…. Sure." I was going to reject, but we were going in the same direction anyway, so we might as well.

I could hear Edward walking behind me, his eyes drilling holes in the back of my head once again. I ignored it, and Mike kept looking behind me in order to look at him. I rolled my eyes. Maybe Edward was acting differently or something. I mean, he's practically stalking me with the way he looks at me. Mike took his seat, which is diagonally down from the back corner where I sit. Edward sat next to me as I felt the intense stare he was giving the side of my head. I let out a frustrated grunt.

"Can I help you with something?" I stared at him, irritated.

"No," was his simple reply, and he turned to face the front. Thank god.

Class ended an hour later, and the teacher quickly reminded us of our impending frog dissection next class. Yippie. I rushed out of school and headed towards my beautiful Chevy. It wasn't as nice as some of the other cars I could see -cough Cullen's cough-, but it was my baby. I drove off campus and towards my house. It was a good hour walk, but by driving I could get home in fifteen to thirty minutes. Right after I had gotten to Forks, I took the driving test, so I was sure to have my license by the time I got my car. Usually you'd have to wait until you were nineteen to drive on your own, but since Forks is such a tiny place, they're really lenient on rules.....not to mention my dad is the head chief at the police station.

I parked my car in the driveway as I made my way to the house and into my room. I glanced at my suitcase that seemed to enjoy its life in the middle of my floor, searching through all the pockets to make sure that it was clear before I put it away in my closet. All pockets were empty, so I closed the flap. A small, neatly wrapped box flung out onto the floor, and I stared at it, shocked. Then it came to me: Garrett's present! I can't believe I forgot about it! I went over to pick it up, ripping it open. I swear I could feel my eyes popping out of their sockets at what he gave me. It was an encyclopedia about mythical creatures! Oh my god, Garrett is amazing! I frantically searched through the index, going to page 90 to search for "mermaids". I flipped through the pages that read about different creatures, such as Dragons and Griffins, until I reached the 'M' section and the chapter about mermaids. The chapter was called "Wonders of the Ocean", and it was written by an unknown author. Strange. Nonetheless, I spent the next couple hours reading it, learning and memorizing everything I could about mermaids.

The one night two weeks ago was the only time I had turned into a mermaid. I haven't changed since then, so it makes me wonder if it actually did happen. I put the mythical book down, not reading anything I didn't already know from the internet. I changed into my short pajama shorts, astounded at the sight of my legs. They were completely covered in a rash that ran from waist to toe, were red like they had been burnt, and extremely itchy, as if mosquitoes bit every inch of my legs. I began scratching them, irritated at the feeling that wasn't going away. Well, no shorts for me for a while. I heard my dad's cruiser pull into the drive way and I sprung out of my room to ask him what I could do.

"DAD!" I called as he took two steps into the house.

"Bella?" He asked, his face full of shock. I'm not too sure if it was the clothing I was wearing, or if it was from the fact that I yelled at him.

"My legs have a bad rash and I don't know what it is."

"Oh.......um......." He glanced at my legs. I was itching them like I was insane.

"I know a doctor who lives in Forks that might be able to see you…" he responded, sounding unsure.

"Please!" I begged.

"Alright. Put on a pair of sweat pants or something over your shorts, and I'll give the doctor a call." Charlie made his way to the phone, and I sprinted up to my room to get my pair of Lulu's.

I came back down to hear Charlie just finishing his conversation with the doctor, and was grinning madly at me.

"Dr. Carlisle said that he would see your rash at his house, if that's alright." I nodded my head. Anything to make the itchiness go away was fine by me.

We headed out to Charlie's cruiser as I sat in the passenger's seat, scratching my legs through the pants. How did I not notice the rash before? I'm sure my legs were fine when I went to gym class two days ago. I will never understand my body. I let out a breath of air in defeat. I tried to ignore the itch; my fingers were hurting too much for me to scratch anymore. Instead, I began watching my surroundings, realizing that we were driving into a forest. I looked at all the tall trees. I don't think I've ever seen such lush trees before. It was almost…...too green for my liking. Never mind the fact that there was no sun, or if there was it would still be pretty chilly, and there were clouds in the sky. Forks is pretty much the opposite of Phoenix. Phoenix is mainly a desert, and there is only sun........not much of anything else. Of course, that was a slight down side for me, because I can't burn or tan, so I was like a glow stick in my old school while everyone was a golden brown color. Now that I think about it, I sort of miss the sunshine. I miss being able to wear only tee shirts and tank tops –which is the reason I don't own a single coat now-. I definitely can't say that I miss my classmates though. They were all snobby and all the girls only cared about looking pretty for the hideous boys that went to our school. Hmm. I wonder what could happen if Edward went to my old school. I snickered as I imagined all the girls jumping on him.

"Bella, did you hear what I said?" Charlie asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, in a daze.

"I said we are here." He declared as he stepped out of his cruiser.

I quickly got out of the car, sort of tripping over a small rock that lay beneath me. I caught myself on the car door, stood up straight, and followed my dad into the house.

It was hardly a house; it was a freaking mansion! ((AN: I'll leave what it looks like to your imagination. (: )) It must be worth a ton! Charlie arrived at the door, and I quickly rushed over to him, ringing the door bell. It sounded like wind chimes blowing in the wind, just loud enough for someone to hear. A figure quickly opened the door and greeted my dad.

"Please do come in." he invited as I stared at him.

He had gold-blonde hair, topaz eyes, and stood maybe about 5"10 or so. He actually looked a lot like members of the Cullen family from school. I shuddered at the thought. Not another one, please.

The beautiful man––as awkward as that sounds––showed us into the living room and, as you guessed it, the Cullen family was sitting in a circle-like shape, staring at me. Oh please, no. I felt my face go red at the stares.

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Please to meet you, Bella." The man spoke. I shook his hand and almost jumped in surprise. It was very cold, much colder than I expected

"Pleased to meet you too." I mumbled, not too sure if he could hear me. He nodded once, turning to face his family.

"This is my family. I'm sure you've met them at school." He spoke as if his mind was distracted by something.

"Um, not personally, but yes…" I replied, unsure.

"Right. Well, this is Alice." The doctor pointed to the short pixie-like girl as she waved, bouncing, yet somehow still sitting. I shyly waved back, not too sure what to do. "Underneath her, is Jasper." He gave a nod as I gave a small smile. "This Rosalie." Carlisle motioned to the girl who looked like she could have been a supermodel if she wanted to be. "Next to her is Emmet, and next to him is my wife, Esme." He pointed to them, giving a loving look to Esme. "And last, but not least, is Edward." He spoke and Edward flashed me a smile, taking my breath away.

"Nice to meet you all."

"Now, Charlie, what was wrong with Bella?" Carlisle asked as he shooed everyone from the living room. Thank god.

"She says she has a rash on her legs."

"Oh? Would you let me see, Bella?" He asked, looking at me.

I nodded a couple times and stood up to take off my Lulu's, my pajama shorts being revealed in the process. I could feel my face burning as he began examining my legs. He stared at it for what felt like half an hour, asking me questions like if I was allergic to anything, or if I had touched something strange. I said no to most of the questions, but one, which stumped me a little; "Has anything unusual happened to you?"

I froze for a second as he stared at me, almost as if he knew the secret that I didn't even really think was true.

"Um........no." I answered, pretending to think.

"Alright then. I'm not fully sure what it is, or where it came from, but try using this ointment," he suggested. Dr. Carlisle went upstairs and came back, giving me a small white container.

I opened it, looking down at the pinkish cream inside. It smelled kind of like grapefruit mixed in honey. I nodded as he gave me instructions: apply it every time the rash appears, and it should go away. If it gets worse, then I should come back to get a new cream. Fat chance. As Charlie and I bid our goodbyes to Carlisle, we headed towards the door, and found Edward standing at the bottom of the stairs. He glanced at my legs, then at my shorts, giving an amused snicker. I felt my face heat up once again, and I stomped my feet as I exited the mansion. What a jerk!


	6. Chapter 6

Alright. Here is chapter 6! Sorry it took so long. I had writers block, but I got over it, and it ended up being 10 'Microsoft Word' pages long!

I wanna thank Goobster013, my Beta, who stayed up til 2am checking over my spelling mistakes. X3

So yeah. C;

Please review at the end. Getting reviews always make me want to write, and it gives me reasons to write that much faster for you.

Enjoy!:

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I returned home to put the ointment on my legs, mumbling a 'thank you' to Charlie for taking me to the Cullen house. I scrambled up to my room, tripping over the encyclopedia. Just my luck. I quickly opened the white tube of pink-like paste, slapping it all over my legs and rubbing the ointment onto them. Immediately the itching went away and I sighed in relief. Finally. I left my window open to let the grape-fruit/honey-like smell out, and crawled into bed. I fell into a deep sleep as usual. I could hear Charlie snoring in the room across the hall from me, but it calmed me down as I counted the beats that he snored. I dreamed about Edward and his family; they were too beautiful to be human.

I awoke with a start, something felt… strange. I stared at my surroundings, my sight coming back from being closed for so long. Where the hell was I?! I was in a beautiful open meadow that was sprinkled with the morning's dew, surrounded by wild flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors. I sank to the floor, relieved. This was my first good dream since I've been living in Forks. Heck, it was my first good dream since I was ten! My parents always fought when I was little and they thought that I couldn't hear, all snug and 'sleeping' in my bed, but I always listened while they argued. I figured I deserved to know why they didn't get along. They got divorced shortly after, and I went to live with my mom in Phoenix.

I closed my eyes, absorbing the scents and feeling of freedom I got just by lying here. I turned my head to the side and opened my eyes to see a beautiful freesia flower. Its petals were creamy white with a slight yellow tinge on the inside, where the pollen lay dormant until spring rolled around. I carefully picked it and just as carefully placed it in my hair. I closed my eyes once again, inhaling the smell of wilderness for the first time in a long while.

"Ahh, beautiful flower choice Isabella." A soft but strong male voice spoke to me.

Maybe it was a Cullen? I highly doubted it, the voice sounded..........harsher.

A blonde male came out of the shadows. He wore a baggy, frayed beige long-sleeved shirt which had a slight V-neck that could send girls running after him. He had olive green tracksuit pants that had holes and looked threadbare, as if he'd been wearing them for years. He had pitch black eyes that made him seem angry. Scary.

"Uhh…....thanks?" I replied, unsure.

"Oh, you're very welcome. Please, call me James." he spoke slyly as he kissed my hand.

I sensed my face heating up. I was shocked at how….......cold James' hand and lips felt; it was like he was a pack of ice cubes. I took a few steps back in order to distance myself from James. Something about him didn't feel right. I took another step back, brilliantly tripping over a pile of flowers. I waited for the impact of the ground to hit my back, but it never came. I opened my eyes to see why I hadn't hit the ground: James had caught me.

I stared into his pitch black eyes as he eyed my neck and my face. He leaned in to kiss my neck, and my body stiffened. I suddenly felt teeth grazing through my skin as I saw something glistening in front of me. My tail! I glanced up at James, who I thought was still holding me, but he was gone. The whole illusion was gone. I was in my bed, in my room. I slapped my hand to my neck to find there were no teeth marks. I ripped the covers off my legs discovering that they were still legs. I was normal…...mostly. Thank god. But what the hell was that _dream_ then?

I brushed my hair back with my hand to get it out of my face, pausing when I reached my right ear. There was a slight wet feeling even though it was dry; something like a plant. Maybe a flower? I pulled it out of my hair, shocked. Or something, like a Freesia! I stared at it, mortified. So then it wasn't a dream? But it had to be! I couldn't randomly be in a meadow that I've never been to, yet alone meet James there.......whoever he was. I rubbed my temples with my hand, getting out of bed to turn on my night lamp that sat on my desk. I heard a ruffling noise by my window and I quickly glanced at it. Nothing. I sighed. I'm getting paranoid, aren't I?

I grabbed the encyclopedia from the floor, going to my desk to read it. I may as well finish the chapter now. I began reading where I had left off; about how the merpeople only ran in two families and that they can only change when the moon is out, if they were on land. The encyclopedia explained, _'If there were clouds in the sky, one would not change. The sky would have to be fully clear, and only then could one change.' _I read the next sentence. _'If one was completely submerged in water, he or she would turn into a mermaid, but the person would have to be sitting.'_ I exhaled sharply. That would explain why I wasn't changing for the past couple weeks; the moon has been covered by the clouds in the sky and I've only taken showers! I let out a long breath. This book made complete sense. I was positive that most people would think the book is strange, but to me, it was justifying my life's meaning. I bookmarked the page and closed the book. That was enough information for the next couple days, or at least for tonight.

I walked over to my window in wonder. Everything's happening so suddenly, it's actually really scary. First my mom sends me down to Forks, I end up turning a mermaid, then I meet some gorgeous jerk, and the Cullen brood won't leave me alone! What's next, Edward sneaking into my bedroom? I looked up at the cloudy sky, my eyes widening; the moon was coming out! I let out a groan. Please no! I suddenly felt my heart pound against my chest fiercely as my legs began throbbing. Oh please no! I collapsed to the floor with a thump, clutching my legs and breathing heavily.

It was the same pain again, like someone had set my legs on fire, burning off the skin inch by inch. I let out a quiet cry of pain, trying not to wake Charlie, and accidentally hitting my head against the floor. What did I do to stop the pain last time? Right, the bath! I stood up, took two steps, then fell back down with a smack. Dammit! I began using my arms to drag my body towards the bathroom, letting out a sob with every inch I covered. This was crazy!

I was going to die before I could even reach the bathroom, let alone get myself into the bathtub! I attempted to stand up again, making a beeline for the bathroom. I know that if I can get myself under water, the pain will stop. It has to! I made it to the bathtub and turned on the water to full blast for both cold and hot faucets, not bothering to change out of my clothes.

I could feel the burning sensation retreat as the water ran over my legs, relieving me of my pain. I let out a breath of air as I sank to the floor of the bathtub, far enough so my head touched the ground. I closed my eyes, letting my body become one with the water. I could feel my legs begin to stick together. It's a very strange feeling, I must say: it's like super-gluing your hands together and trying to write with a pencil. I took a big breath in, letting all of the air escape my lungs the next second. It felt oddly relaxing.

I quickly sat up, taken aback at how much the bathtub was filled; it was almost at the very top! I quickly turned the taps off, pulling the plug to let some of the water out. But wasn't my head just at the bottom of the bath? I hesitated as the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly. I was breathing underwater! I put the plug back into the hole that was at the front of the tub, staring at my tail. The beautiful metallic sapphire color was back, and my fin flipped up towards my face, splashing it. I giggled. So my feet are my fins. I suppose all this made sense, but it still felt like a hazy dream. I wish I had thought to bring that encyclopedia with me. I would have to keep my hands out of the water, but it would be worth it to have that book. Right Now. I suddenly heard a thump come from somewhere close to me, and I looked in that direction. There sat my encyclopedia. I stared at it, astounded. I had powers?!

I woke up in my bed. Everything last night happened in a blur. One second I somehow got my encyclopedia next to the bathtub from my room, then the next I'm in my bed sleeping. Why my life moves so quickly, I don't know.

I got dressed and ready for school, heading out to my Chevy. Since I had gotten it from Jake, it's been working perfectly. I couldn't ask for a better mechanic. I parked my car in the same spot as always; two parking spaces away from the exit. Now that I've actually settled in, I can see the patters that people make, from parking their car to heading off to lunch. Even the Cullens have their own habits.

I jumped out of my car, shutting the door and locking it. I made my way into the school, heading off to my first class. I was still an hour early, but I didn't get much time to do homework last night from all the… incidents that popped up. I felt someone staring at me, which was usual since I was still technically new, but I've been here for a few weeks; I know everyone, and everyone knows me. I looked up to see who it was, and it was none other than Edward. I saw a flash of James's face on Edward and I jumped, stunned.

They look the same. Edward looked confused, but I quickly walked passed him, burying my nose in schoolbooks. I made my way to math class, putting my books on top of the desk in a daze. They had the same perfect look to their skin, a white pasty color. Even the same black eyes that made them look angry, or hungry. A shiver went down my body at the thought. The day passed in a blur. I only saw Edward about twice––including in the parking lot this morning––so I didn't worry too much about seeing him during the rest of the day. Oh how wrong I was.

Lunch rolled around, and I meandered to the cafeteria to sit with Jess, Lauren, and Angela, ignoring any thoughts about food. I had only taken two steps into the building, and a little pixie like figure came bouncing towards me; Alice.

"Hi Bella" She piped.

"Um, hi"

"Would you like to eat lunch with us?" She asked happily.

"Um…" I took a glance toward Jess, and she nodded eagerly. "Sure," I answered.

"Hurray!" she cheered, dragging me towards the table. How she dragged me, I'm not quite sure.

"Hey you guys!" Emmet boomed as we reached the table.

"Hey." I spoke, smiling.

Edward said nothing as Alice sat me down between herself and him. I shifted to get into a comfortable position, which was nearly impossible with these benches. I could feel Edward's arm touching mine, and I shivered. His body was cold, like James. He gave me an awkward look, but I ignored it, giving him a small smile.

Alice inquired, "So how do you like Forks?"

"It's too rainy," I stated. Much too rainy.

Everyone gave a low chuckle, and I stared.

Rosalie was glaring at me, the thought '_if looks could kill'_ running across my mind. Jasper looked at me with mixed emotions; his expression flitted between anger, happiness, and down-right troubled. Emmett was talking to Rosalie, Jasper was talking to Alice, and Edward and I sat next to each other in silence.

"So… how's life?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Boring."

"Oh." Gee, did he have to make this harder than it already was?

"What music do you listen to?" I questioned, glancing down at my ipod. He suddenly became interested in the conversation.

"**Mostly classical. Clair de Lune is my favorite song," he mumbled, somewhat embarrassed.** "**Me too!" I shouted excitedly, my face going red. ** "**Well, that came out a little girlier than I thought it would," I mumbled to myself.** **Edward laughed a beautiful, musical laugh. I looked up into his eyes, trying to figure what exactly he and his family were. There was no way they were humans. I glanced around the whole table, almost as if I could figure it out, but sighed as I came up with nothing.** "**What's your favorite color?" he asked. God, gotta love small talk.** "**Topaz," I answered without thinking, which was weird because my new favorite color was sapphire...........for a good reason. "I mean it's sapphire." I corrected myself as he raised an eyebrow.** "**I got…......mixed up with another thing…" I tried to excuse myself from going more into depth. ** "**Favorite food?" he asked, and I gave him a you-should-know-this-answer look.** **I scoffed. "What sort of question is that?"** "**A logical one," he replied, smiling. ** "**Right….....Well, it changes depending on the seasons. Right now I got to say it's probably fruits." I nodded, thinking about all the fruits I had bought a little while ago that now sat in the house.** "**You?" I asked as he froze. Actually, everyone at the table seemed to freeze at my three lettered question.** "…**I don't really have a favorite food. Picking a number one is hard." He replied, and the general mood calmed down. **

The bell rang as lunch came to an end and I got up, making my way to Bio.

"You heading to Bio?" I asked, curious.

"Nah. It's healthy to skip every now and then." He winked as I gave a small chuckle.

"Alright then. Bye!" I called.

I sat at my desk, thinking about the Cullen family. There is something about them, but I can't quite put my finger on it. They were the same as that James guy. What was it? Mr. Banner walked into the class with a bucket full of little round circular things that looked like they were used for holding blood. Now don't get me wrong; blood is cool and all since we need it to live, but it has a dirty, rusty smell that makes me nauseous, and I always end up fainting.

"Class, today we are going to see what blood type you are! There is a program going on at the local hospital which will allow you to find out your blood type." The class cheered. I think I was the only one who let out a groan.

"So what you will do," He grabbed Mike's hand, "is prick your finger with this -sanitized- scalpel, and let some of your blood run onto the tube." He pricked Mike's pointer finger with the needle, as the blood ran off his hand. "Do NOT put your blood one someone else's tray, and for heaven's sakes, don't use the same scalpel!" he spoke, stressing the rules. I could see the room spinning around me and feel sweat running down my back as the students pricked their fingers one by one. Was this why Edward skipped bio? What a smart kid.

I heard the teacher mutter something into my ear, but I couldn't keep my mind straight. Before I knew it, I was being taken out of the classroom. I struggled to open my eyes as I saw Mike limping with me as I leaning against his shoulder; carrying me to the office, I assumed. My head hurt too much to think about anything. I was suddenly picked up bridal style, and my eyes shot open. What the hell? I opened my eyes to see Emmett carrying me.

He looked down at me with a goofy face. "Faint at the sight of blood, huh?" he snickered

I let out a moan of pain as I closed my eyes once again, trying to ignore and keep down the nauseous feeling. I could feel my body go limp as we slowly made our way to the office, much slower than I wanted or needed. I heard a yell come from next to me, the voice sounding pretty upset. Something about killing someone. Wait. What?! I shot my eyes open, giving a freaked out stare to Emmett, or who I thought was Emmett. Edward stood above me, smiling down at me. My body went limp once again, not having the strength to keep my body upright.

"You alright?" I heard Edward's smooth velvet voice speak to me.

I let out a grunt in response and he let out a low chuckle. Before I knew it, I was lying down on a soft white bed. The nurse's office? I sat upright, opening my eyes, but was pushed back down the next second. I let out a huff.

Edward chided, "You should rest, Bella."

"I'm fine," I mumbled as I sat up. The room started circulating again, and I fell back onto the pillow.

"Fine, hmm?" he mocked

"Excuse me, I have to run some tests." The nurse spoke to Edward and he stepped to the side

The nurse checked my temperature and asked how I felt. Apparently, she's had numerous people come in from fainting at the sight of blood.

"Always one in every class," she murmured, not expecting me to hear. I rolled my eyes as I smiled at Edward. He gave a crooked one back and I held my breath, looking at his face. Was I dazzled, or what?

The nurse soon dismissed me, and I caught up with Edward. I didn't even want to think about heading back to bio. I'm sure Mr. B'll understand if I skip the rest of the class, right?

We made it to the school parking lot. "Here, why don't I take you home?" Edward offered as we stood in front of his Volvo.

"Um, what about my car?" I countered.

"Alice will bring it to your home for you. We don't want you fainting in the middle of the highway, now do we?" He winked as my face flushed at the thought. I climbed in to his beautiful car for the second time in my life.

**Alice Pov.**

I saw Edward taking Bella home, rejoicing at the thought. I knew they were meant to be! I did a small, sitting happy dance as my classmates looked at me weirdly, but I ignored it. I was getting the highest mark in the class anyway. Jasper grabbed my hand, probably shocked at my sudden outburst of joy. I don't know what he would do without me. I held his hand tightly, smiling up at him.

"Edward is taking Bella home." I smiled as he nodded, probably just as thrilled. Or maybe it was just me, since Jasper was able to feel emotions all the time.

I suddenly had a vision, my happiness disappearing in an instant.

'_James climbed through Bella's open window, waiting for her, and inhaling her scent. Bella came crashing through the door, clumsy as always. She toppled to the ground, her arm scratching against a loose nail, blood gushing out. James quickly jumped on her, biting her neck as her body became lifeless.'_

"NO!" I yelled, the vision going away. Everyone turned to look at me, but I ignored them.

"Cover for me: I have to find Edward!" I spoke at vampire-speed to Jasper. I had to get him before he left Bella home alone!

I got out of class as quickly as I could at human pace, but it made me anxious. It would happen in only a matter of seconds. I grabbed my pink cell phone, whipping it open and hitting the speed dial that was for Edward.

"Hello?" he answered

"Edward, go back to Bella's house! Get her out of there! Right. Now!" I yelled, running out to my car.

"What w-wh—"

I cut him off. "JUST GO!" I screamed as I made it to the parking lot.

I used Carlisle's speed dial and he picked up.

"Yes Alice?" He asked.

"Bella is being hunted."

**Bella Pov**

**((Before Alice's phone call))**

"Here you are." Edward announced as we made it to my drive way.

I was about to open my door to get out, but Edward was already there holding the door open for me. I stared at him, but then nodded my head as I stepped out of the car.

"Thanks." I smiled as he paused for a second.

"You are very welcome." He smiled back. I took out my house key, unlocking the door and heading inside.

We waved good bye as I walked into my house, something felt very…. strange. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was like something, or someone was watching me. I shrugged it off, changing into a pair of sweat pants and a baggy shirt once I got to my room. Maybe a walk is all I need to clear my head. I went downstairs, putting my Nike tennis shoes on, leaving a note for Charlie that I was going on a walk and it'd probably be best if he were to order in some food. I went back out the door, leaving it unlocked since Charlie would be home soon anyway.

I made my way through the forest, but the feeling didn't disappear. If anything, it was getting worse. It felt like I had been walking for hours, but a clearing soon came into my view. I quickened my pace, anxious to get out of this dreadfully green forest. I took a step into the clearing, gasping. It was the same meadow from my dream! It was sprinkled with dew, even if it was afternoon, the flowers all around were in small flower beds of all shapes and sizes, and the sun––which hid behind the clouds––shone on it beautifully. I walked out into the sunlight, picking a white Freesia and placing it in my hair, just like my dream. Can we say déjà vu?

"Ah, such a beautiful flower!" A voice spoke, the same voice from my dreams. James!

I tensed as I realized why it felt like someone was watching me; someone was actually watching me!

"What are you tense for? You can trust me Isabella…" he spoke slyly, only making me tenser.

He was suddenly behind me, grabbing my waist. I froze, not knowing what to do. Thoughts of martial arts and random attacks ran through my head, but I hardly knew how to throw a punch, so I discarded those thoughts. He spun me around so my back was leaning against his arm, my neck in full view. He brought his lips down to my neck, kissing it before he bit down, and I let out a scream. Before anything else could happen, a huge tree suddenly went flying, hitting James and me as I landed on my back in a flowerbed with a thump. I looked to see where the tree came from, seeing Edward standing at the edge of the meadow.

I let out a cry, seeing as my arm was twisted in an uncomfortable position. It was probably broken. A loud growl erupted from Edward as a clap of thunder echoed through the meadow. Was that even possible? I closed my eyes, a few tears of pain running down my face as something shiny caught my eye. I lifted my head to see that I had a tail! Oh shit! What a time to change! But it's not even nighttime yet! I felt my heart pounding against my chest, as I tried to remember the contents of the book. The sentence_" If in a great danger, one will automatically change," _ran through my head as I let out a whimper. What was I going to do? Obviously Edward hadn't noticed, but what was I going to do?! I suddenly felt someone touch my arm, and I flinched to see Carlisle. Oh, fantastic!

"Wow," was all he said when he saw me. "Are you hurt?" he asked, quickly recovering from his shock. Maybe being a mermaid wasn't so strange after all?

"Um. My arm." I glanced towards my arm as he looked at it, being careful not to move it. My voice sounded very strange to me, like bells floating in the wind.

"It's broken, would you like to come back to my house?" he offered.

I shook my head, as I glanced at my tail. It was changing back to beige, meaning my legs were returning. "Um, just give me five minutes…" I mumbled, and he nodded. I guess he would find out it was me one way or another…

Five minutes quickly passed. My legs were back, and so were my clothes. Where they go when I change, I will never know. Carlisle's eyes looked like they popped out of his head when everything clicked. His eyes were so wide, I almost wanted to laugh.

"Bella?" he asked stunned.

I nodded once. "Please don't tell anyone!"

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Read and Review please!


	7. Chapter 7

Here's Chapter 7! sorry for the long wait!

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Carlisle nodded, inspecting my arm again. It was strange how calm he was about me being a mermaid––like he was a mythical creature himself––but that couldn't be true, could it? He suddenly moved my arm and I let out a scream of pain. I didn't think a break could hurt so much. It felt like stabbing your palm with a rusty old nail, then pulling it out again.

"Sorry. I needed to put your arm back into its natural position." He spoke calmly as I nodded slowly.

"Is it bad?" I asked while I heard another crash of thunder echoing through the meadow.

"It's broken, but nothing a cast can't fix." He smiled and I attempted to smile back, probably failing to do so.

I heard a low growl erupt from the edge of the forest, sounding like a wolf of some sort. Were these the wolves who were killing people that I heard my dad talk about?! I began panicking as a huge, russet-colored wolf came into my view. Carlisle immediately backed away. He was leaving me here with the huge wolf?! I glanced towards the doctor and he gave me an apologetic smile. The wolf suddenly nuzzled his way under my back in order to put me on his back. I shot a horrified glance at Carlisle, who just picked me up and placed me there. Did he want me dead or something!? I glanced over to where Edward was. He was fighting James, and the fight looked pretty even; Edward would land a hit on James, then the next second James would retaliate. Their bodies collided as another clap of thunder filled the forest, and I flinched from the noise.

The copper colored wolf suddenly started running and I let out a small scream, adrenaline running through my veins. The trees rushed past us as the wolf made its way through the forest, and I could feel myself slipping off of its back. I glanced down to look at my legs to see why I was slipping, and I stared, paralyzed. I was a mermaid! Again! I suddenly slipped off, falling straight into a small pond with a 'sploosh'. The wolf stopped running, glanced down at me, then came into the water itself. The water was up to my neck, meaning that my body was fully covered, which was somewhat of a good thing I think. The pond wasn't too deep; it was just deep enough for my tail to touch the bottom.

The wolf tried to pull me out, but I struggled against its grip, which held my right arm captive. I pulled my hand back as hard as I could and the wolf let go, sending me flying the middle of the pond. I glared at the wolf, rubbing my right arm with my left as it healed. I froze, looking down at my right arm that _was_ broken before, but now was completely normal, as if nothing happened. I thought back to the encyclopedia, trying to remember if it contained any sort of information about mermaids and healing properties. _'If one is to change and have an injury, it will heal ten times faster than those of a human's'_. Thank god! I glanced at the wolf, the wolf glanced back at me, and a thought struck me. The color of the wolf's fur was remarkably similar to the color of Jake's hair! I stared at the wolf wide-eyed.

"Jake?" I asked, swimming closer to the wolf, which was keeping itself buoyant by paddling with its feet.

The wolf nodded reluctantly, and he let out a breath of air like he was sighing. The wolf––or Jake––suddenly changed his appearance, revealing a red-brown haired boy who I knew oh so well.

"Hey Izzy." He laughed awkwardly.

I slapped his arm playfully, almost hurting my hand, but it quickly healed before any damage could be done. I'll never understand this mermaid thing. He had a look of bewilderment written all over his face as I let out a low growl.

"You scared the hell out of me back there!" I cried as I pointed in the direction of the meadow.

"Sorry! I got mad when I saw you with that _leech." _ He sneered at the last word like it had killed something.

"Leech?" I asked, curious.

"Uh......never mind. They'll tell you on their own......." His voice drifted off.

"No. Tell me." I fluttered my eyes

"uhhh..." He paused, his face turning red.

"Please, Jake?" I asked, putting my hand on his shoulder and giving him a puppy eye look

"Err... Well... In La Push, we have stories that run through our.... tribes talking about the "cold ones", and how they are our mortal enemy." he sighed, giving in

"Mortal enemies?" He nodded once

"Well.... my pack, the Quileuts, have made a treaty with the "cold ones" and they have a limit in where they can step foot." he finished in one breath

"Wow," was all I was able to respond with. It was like my life had suddenly been filled with this strange mythical world in the month that I had lived in Forks. Yet somehow, everything seemed to make sense in this strange, small city.

"And uh, what's with your eyes?" He questioned, interrupting my train of thought.

"Oh um." I paused, flicking my tail up to the surface of the water . "I'm a mermaid…." I trailed off, not knowing what to say about it, my face turning red.

"Wow," was all he could say. Somehow, 'Wow' seemed to be a part of everyone's vocabulary today.

"Do you have.....you know.........clothes? Or something?" His face started turning red. I hit his arm again.

"Pervert! Of course I have something covering me! What about you?" I asked suspiciously, looking down at where his waist would be in the water.

There was a pause of silence, giving me the answer that I almost didn't want. Our faces began turning redder than they already were, probably competing with a tomato**.**

"Well, I'll go put my clothes on…." He mumbled, the air still slightly heavy from our awkward convocation.

"Okay. I'll be here." I murmured, and turned around so he could get out of the pond to change, my face still burning.

I was splashing around the water, running my hands through my soft brown hair and diving down into the water so my tail wasn't cramped at the bottom. Everything was so clear, even though growing algae made the pond slightly murky. Two _goldfish_ swam over to me, as if they were smiling. One of the goldfish was orange with a small white dot on his head that looked like a heart, and the other was white with a small orange dot on his head that looked like a star, almost like Ying and Yang.

I was playing with them, holding them in my hands and somewhat communicating with them. I could open my mouth so I could talk, but they couldn't understand the language I spoke, but I could understand them, somehow. They told me that they could transmit signals right to my brain, and it would then change to English, the language that I spoke. I nodded my head or shook it with the yes or no questions that they asked me. They were simple, ones I could easily answer. I'm not quite sure how long I was underwater talking to the fish, but I could hear Jake calling for me.

"Yeeees?" I asked my, voice ringing through the forest as I floated to the top, leaving my new friends.

"Holy shit! You scared me!" Jake sighed. "I thought you drowned!" He let out a small chuckle of relief.

"Sorry! I didn't realize how much time I spent underwater." I swam over to him. He wore only a pair of sopping wet pants, and nothing for a shirt or shoes. He was so......buff! I could feel my face burn at the thought.

"Well, I guess it doesn't get any more mythical than this, huh?" I joked as I lifted myself out the pond, sitting on the edge and letting my tail splash in the water. Jake looked completely star-struck at the sight of my tail, or maybe just my sight in general.

"You look........very........pretty" he stuttered, at a loss for words.

"Thanks…." I smiled, and blushed at the compliment

"Oh, um, Jake? I'd really appreciate it if you could not tell anyone about what I am… I'm very vulnerable." I requested, referring to my legs. If word got that I was a mermaid, with no doubt there would be people on the hunt for me.

He nodded. "You have my word" Jake pulled me into a hug and I hugged him back, freezing as I heard another voice calling for me: Edward.

"Shit." I mumbled. Jumping back into the water, I looked up at Jacob.

"Jake, remember! No telling anyone!" I eyed him, slightly glaring so he would get the idea as I dove back down to the bottom of the pond.

"Where is she, mutt?" Edward asked…......no, demanded.

"I don't know, _leech!"_ Jake uttered the last word scathingly, once again. Was Edward actually a 'cold one'?

"Don't lie! I know you took her!" Edward growled.

"So what if I did? What is she to _you_?" Jake countered.

There was a short pause as I twirled my fingers around Ying and Yang, whom I decided to call the pair of fish.

"What are you hiding!?" Edward demanded again.

"Stay OUT of my thoughts, you blood sucker!" Jake yelled.

"Just leave! I'm sure your 'family' is looking for you!" Jake spoke again before Edward could reply. I could feel guilt running through my body at the thought of Jake telling Edward off, but it was for the best.........right?

"This isn't over, mutt," Edward whispered, then it was silent.

"Iz?" Jake called, and I floated to the top of the lake so you could only see the top of my head and my sapphire blue eyes.

"Is it safe?" I whispered.

"Yeah. He left," Jake mumbled as I brought my body out of the water again.

"Thanks Jake." I sighed in relief, pulling him into a hug.

I dragged my body out of the water so my tail could dry off and my legs would return. Jake looked at me awkwardly, but I gave him a half smile. "You going back to the Cullen's?" he asked, disgusted.

"Um, no. I'll just go home," I paused, looking at my right arm that was, by now, completely healed.

"Alright. I'll walk you there." Jake stated, but hesitated when he looked at my tail again.

"Once you change?" he questioned.

"Yeah. I'm changing. Gotta wait for my tail to dry off." My legs began turning beige. I closed my eyes, lying on my back as my legs began to split, giving me my two pale legs back, and my clothes magically came back. "Alright, lets go." I spoke as I straightened my clothing out, Jake giving me a weird look.

"What?" I asked as he shook his head.

"……Never mind."

"Okay then…So what did you mean when you said 'Stay out of my mind' to Edward?"

"Hmm........" He seemed to collect his thoughts. "They'll tell you everything when you see them."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine then. Don't tell me." I spoke with sarcasm, rolling my eyes as we finally made it back to the house. The pond was actually quite close by to my house, a ten minute walk at most. Maybe I'd go back every time I needed to change……

"Bye Iz," Jake called, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Bye Jake. Thanks again." I pulled him into a quick hug, then went inside my house.

I quickly made my way to the bathroom where I had left my encyclopedia, flipping to the "C" section, looking up for any entry's for the "cold ones".

Nothing.

I closed the book, letting out a breath of air. If the "cold ones" were not in the book, then it must be a nick name for another name, right?. I booted up my computer waiting a slow ten minutes before the internet explorer could finally load up. This thing just had to have dial up connection, didn't it? After my home page loaded up, I quickly opened up the Google home page, typing in "The Cold Ones" to see if any other names came up. Only one other name came up, and it popped right out into my face. Vampires.

I reached down to grab my book, oh so gracefully falling off my chair and landing on my left arm. I exhaled, sitting up to see the damage on the upper part of my arm. It was just a bit tender, probably starting to bruise. I ignored it for now, opening the book under "V", reading through it thoroughly.

I memorized the entire section of vampires and werewolves, making sure I knew everything that I needed to know by heart. I made my way out of my bedroom, glancing at the clock. 8:00pm. Holy shit! How much time had passed since I came home from school? I got home at around 4:15, meaning that I had been gone and was reading for barely four hours. I sighed as I entered my room, putting the encyclopedia on top of my desk, and heading downstairs to begin making dinner for Charlie and I, the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house.

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Read and Review, please. (:


	8. Chapter 8

Here is chapter 8! I hope I get a lot of reviews for this chapter ((even if it's not that long D: )). 8 is my favorite and lucky number, so yeah. (:

I know that my updates are getting slower and slower, writers block is slowly catching up to me. ): But worry not! I know what I want to happen in the next few chapters, so that's always a good thing. ^^. Anyway, Enjoy!

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The door bell rang, making me jump. Who was visiting at a time like this? I turned the stove on low, letting the barbeque ribs sizzle in the pan. I'm really happy I came down to Forks; I could feed my dad, -not that he couldn't manage with out me- and I can keep my secret about me being a mermaid hidden since Forks is one of the rainiest towns in the States. It makes me wonder if my mom knew about the mermaid thing, but that's completely ridiculous. How could she know? I glanced at the clock; it read 8:15. Charlie was still at work for another hour, so it couldn't have been him, could it? I unlocked the door, -not bothering to check the peep hole- swinging it open to reveal an energetic Alice.

"Hi Bella!"

"Hey Alice! Need anything?" I greeted. Of course she wouldn't need anything; she's a vampire!

"Yes, actually," she replied. Oh. Well, screw my last statement.

"What is it?"

"Could you please visit my family?" She pleaded.

"I'm not too sur—" Her puppy-dog eyes cut me off. "Um, sure….....but I should be cooking for Charlie…....." I gave in with a sigh. Who could resist those eyes?

"Yeah, I know. I'll wait!" Alice invited herself inside, immediately making a bee-line for the three-person couch.

"Make yourself at home" I joked as the tiny pixieturned on the TV to watch some show called "Paris Hilton, my new BFF".

It's such a bad show, it hurts just thinking about it. Paris couldn't act to save her life. Really. ((AN: Sorry to those if you actually like the show. Nothing against you, just the show. (: )) I returned to the ribs, turning the stove to high once again. They smelled so good….

"Bella!" Alice yelled.

I looked towards her, tearing my eyes off of the ribs. "Hmm?"

"You finished?" She all but demanded.

"Yep!"

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road!" she hollered, and I rolled my eyes.

"Okay. Gimme a sec." I put the finished ribs on a plate, wrapping tinfoil around it to keep it warm. I grabbed a piece of paper from the counter and quickly wrote Charlie a note regarding a short visit to the Cullen household and a dinner that was ready to eat. I rejoined Alice in the living room, who shot me a look of impatience. She grabbed my arm with her bare hands, making me jump again. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" I can definitely see why Jake would call them the 'cold ones'.

Alice shoved me into her bright yellow Porche and started up the engine. Before I knew it, we were at the house. This family is so insane.........or at least their driving is. I could see their mansion appear through the trees, and I suddenly relaxed. It felt like a second home, even if I wasn't all that close with the Cullen family. We stopped in the driveway, Alice got out of her car, and before I could even think about undoing my seat belt, she was standing at the side of the car holding the door open for me. I gave her a weird stare, but she just smiled and gave me a small wink. I rolled my eyes, but got out of the car nonetheless. She dragged me into the house, inhaling as if she was about to scream. I wasn't disappointed.

"BELLA'S HERE!!!!" she bellowed. In response, people stampeded downstairs to collect in the living room. How a girl this small could have a voice that loud, I have no idea.

She smiled at me when Jasper came down––quickly taking his hand––and went off the living room. I shot her a glare for leaving me as I was about to follow, but was cut off by an "ahem" from the stairs. I glanced sideways to see Edward standing next to me, holding out his hand at a 90 degree angle, as if he was waiting for me to grab it. God, did he have to look so much like a Greek god? My mind immediately thought of him and James fighting in the meadow, and I flinched. Edward looked taken aback, but I quickly grabbed his arm, intertwining it with mine before he could think of dropping it to his side.

A shock of electricity rushed through my body as I touched his, jolting all of my nerves into over drive. I felt my whole body tense, but the next second I felt a calm feeling rush through my body as Jasper gave me a small smile. Huh. I glanced at Edward to see if he could feel it as well––which, judging by the strange look on his face, he could. We quietly made our way into the living room and everyone looked at us, as if we were about to get married or something. I felt my face burn at that thought. We aren't even dating yet! I pushed it out of my head as Edward lead my towards a small, two-person couch, which looked oddly like a love seat. Oh great. I swear, this family is playing matchmaker with Edward and me. There was an eerie silence in the living room, which Carlisle broke by clearing his throat.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" He asked, glancing at my supposedly broken right arm. Oh shit.

"Um......good." I smiled, trying to steer the conversation away from my arm––not that we were talking about that yet.

"Are your legs alright?" He inquired. Everyone seemed to glance down at my legs.

"Yep…" I mumbled, thankful that I still had my baggy sweat pants on, and hoping that Carlisle hadn't told anyone about what I was. I eyed the silent room, a thought striking me. "What happened to James?" I remembered how he was about to bite me, then a tree came flying at us…........A TREE?! Everyone froze as I came to a realization about what happened at the meadow, and how un-human Edward had behaved.

"You threw a tree at me!" I stood up, pointing accusingly at Edward. "A freaking tree!" I yelled again, wondering how they were going to prove that they were human when I knew otherwise.

"That was your imagination." Edward tried to cover up his actions.

"Oh yeah, because when you are being attacked, you imagine trees flying at you!" I rolled my eyes. "Plus, I heard thunder whenever your body collided with James's" I persisted.

"There was a thunder storm coming." Alice tried to cover for Edward, who shot her a grateful look.

"And that's why it was sunny, right?" I retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm. I let the Cullens off the hook with a sigh. Was there really any point in confirming what Jacob had said? Okay well….....yes there was, but that's all right. I looked around the room, stopping when my eyes hit Carlisle and Edward. They looked like they were having their own conversation, perhaps agreeing to reveal what they were. Edward nodded once to Carlisle and then looked back at me, but before they could say anything, I declared, "I know what you all are."

"W-what?" Edward was the only one who spoke. Everyone else was too shocked to answer.

"You're all vampires." I whispered, the last word rolling off my tongue. It sounded so artificial, so fake. They all looked at me like I was completely insane. I could feel my face start to burn up in embarrassment. Maybe Jake was wrong. Maybe they were just supernaturally strong humans?

"Yes, we are vampires." Carlisle admitted, confirming Jake's statement.

"Oh." was all I could think of.

"How did you find out?" he asked, looking at me curiously.

I began to let my leg bounce up and down on the ball of my foot. "My friend Jacob Black told me a legend that the Natives had about the 'cold ones'. I decided to google it and 'Vampires' came up........"

" I see." He spoke casually.

"You're not going to…...eat me, are you?" I questioned cautiously as everyone let out a quiet laugh.

"Don't worry Bella, you're in safe hands." Esme smiled, but Rosalie gave me a look that said something different.

"Thank you." I mumbled, rubbing my right arm.

"Bella, could you tell us what happened to your arm?" Carlisle asked. Shit, my arm!

"Um, what do you mean?" I tried to act like I didn't know my arm was supposed to be broken, which I knew didn't work very well.

"Your arm was broken when I got to you in the meadow," he played along. How was I going to get out of this one? I don't want them to know that I'm a mermaid.......I let out a long sigh. Maybe it was better if they knew what I was? It was only fair since I knew what they were.

"Well.......Um........I'm actually a—" I was cut off by someone banging at the door.

Everyone looked briefly at the interruption, moving the attention away from me. Thank you visitor! Carlisle got up and made his way to the door, opening it to reveal one of my only friends from Phoenix.

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